Police duty schedules are certainly unpredictable. To be ordered, to get ready to travel as you walk into the office in the morning, was nothing new to any seasoned policeman. Many of them had often been ordered to work round the clock or mount surveillances in bushes for days, in order to monitor and arrest a wanted suspect.
Such schedules were certainly nothing new to late sergeant Nuhu Aliyu, from Katsina State, who had worked with the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Ikeja, Lagos State Command, for long. Mrs. Nuhu, a woman who had been married to him, close to three years, had gotten used to the unpredictability that comes with her husband’s job. When Nuhu got to office on May, 2, 2014, he had no idea he would be travelling to Kaduna State.
But when he was ordered to get ready, that he would be travelling with members of team nine, to arrest some suspects that same day, he had followed order. But friends and colleagues later confessed that Nuhu had been quite reluctant to embark on that fateful journey, which was very unusual and out of character with him.
“It was almost like he knew something terrible would happen,” said a colleague. According to his colleagues, he was always willing and ready for the most difficult task and journey. He however knew that as a policeman, ‘Obey the last order,’ was the mantra.
Believing that the journey would be quickly over, he had parked his car at the command, rather than take it home. He had also alerted his wife, imploring her to take care of their one-year-old daughter. The girl is their only child. He did not know that would be last time he would see or speak with his wife.
He died leaving behind his young wife and daughter. Nuhu and another colleague, Inspector Evbouan Aigbokhai from Edo State, died in a freaky automobile accident, after being unable to be vanquished by armed robbers.
The accident occurred while they were returning from Kaduna, after arresting some suspects, in an ongoing investigation, involving Dangote Company. The company was the complainant and had attempted to make the journey less stressful for the policemen by providing vehicle. The Lagos Police Command authority later announced: “
On May, 5, 2014, at about 2:30pm, officers and men from SARS team nine, while returning from an investigation to Kaduna State, had accident at Onigare Village, along Lagos- Ibadan Expressway. “The front tyre of the vehicle burst, causing the car to somersault. As a result, Inspector Evbouan Aigbokhai and Sergeant Nuhu Aliyu, eventually died at UCH Ibadan.
Their corpses were brought and kept at the Lagos State Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Mortuary.
Some of the suspects arrested and injured were also treatment.” The death of the men plunged the command into a mournful mood, even as they prayed for other members of the team, who were rushed to General hospital, Ibadan to survive.
Also severely injured in the accident was an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mr. Ugueze Cyprian. He was the officer who led the team to Kaduna. He is presently recuperating in the hospital. It was also gathered that some injured policemen had been discharged from the hospital.
The following day, Nuhu was buried at Agege Cemetery, according to Muslim rites. The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Prince Umar Manko and the Deputy Commissioner of Police, in charge of Operations, Mr. Tunde Sobulo, flanked by other senior officers, were at the cemetery to pay their last respects to the gallant officer. But Manko was noticeably grief-stricken.
A policeman said: “Yes, the commissioner of police was the worst hit by the death of the policemen, but especially by the death of Nuhu. Nuhu was like a son to him.” A few days after the accident and burial, Manko fell ill.
“He does not joke with his policemen,” revealed another policeman. Many of the SARS operatives described the death of Nuhu and Aigbokhai as a big loss to, not just the command, but also to the Police Force.
Both men worked under Superintendent of Police, (SP), Mr. Abba Kyarri, in charge of SARS. Kyarri, who was quite reluctant to speak about the deceased men, described the duo as “gallant officers and warriors.” The sad officer, choking on emotions, first described Nuhu as he knows him. “Ever since Nuhu came to SARS, we’ve been working together as a team.
He had been my orderly, working with me. He was a gallant officer. He had been involved in the arrest of several wanted criminals, especially armed robbers and kidnappers.” Nuhu was part of the warriors that embarked on trailing of a gang of robbers, who besieged Lagos State, September, 9, 2012. People in the state later described that day as ‘Bloody Sunday.’
The robbers on that day had gone through different areas of the metropolis, robbing, shooting, maiming and killing. Also arrested along with the gang of robbers, was another gang, which attacked First bank in Kwara State and burnt down a police station. The bank was said to have been attacked with dynamites and policemen killed and several people injured.
On the fateful day that the gang attacked the First Bank, they were about 17 robbers that stormed the bank. They allegedly made away with over N18million. They were finally arrested. Kyarri said: “Nuhu was also part of the team that recovered 12 AK47 rifles, and one GPMG. In fact, he was the one that arrested Arab, the leader of that gang.
The arrest of Arab, took us to Ogun State, where we recovered the 12 rifles. He was also part of the team that arrested godogodo.” The name godogodo, was the nickname given to Abiodun Ogunjobi, the South-West robbery czar. He was part of the Black Sunday Robbery of September, 9, 2012.
He later confessed that he had angrily killed a lot of policemen because of his members, slain by cops. For being part of the brave hearted police team that nailed the dreaded robbers, Nuhu smiled home with awards for gallantry.
Aigbokhai was fondly known among his colleagues as, ‘Man of God.’ It was pretty difficult to find him with a sad expression. No matter how bad the situation was, you would find, Aigbokhai, ‘blessing or praying’ for somebody.
He was always jovial. His character earned him ‘man of God.’ People, who met him for the very first time, always asked after minutes in his presence, if he was a true pastor.
When it was time to speak about Aigbokhai, Kyarri, weighed down with sadness, smoother laughter, as he recalled, Aigbokhai.
He said: “He was not a real man of God. It was just a nickname. He had not been with us for long, but he was quite popular. Their death was a shock to us.”
An Assistant Superintendent of Police, Mr. Philip, in charge of team nine, spoke glowing of Aigbokhai. He said: “Its clears that men who work here at SARS, work tirelessly and are gallant. We don’t accept lazy men in SARS. And these two men in particular were gallant officers.
Aigbokhai worked directly with me in my team. Before he left for this journey, he had always worked without supervision.
“He was an inspector that could work and you wouldn’t have any complaint. But nobody can question death. His nickname ‘man of God’, was because he loved people and liked playing with them.
Once he sees anyone, he would say, ‘you’re blessed.’ “Whether you’re a suspect or complainant, he didn’t mind. He would tell you, ‘you’re blessed.’ He disarmed people but he knew what he wanted and would play with you until he got it. He even used to pray with people, but his jocularity did not affect his work.
“As for Nuhu, he was not in my team, but anywhere you send him, he would go and always perfect his job, which was why when we had this job, we solicited for his assistance. His death was a blow to us.
The CP and DCP were at their burial; that shows the type of men they were. I know we would get over these blows, but it would take time.” Aigbokhai, 45, was survived by his wife, Mrs. Evbouan Victoria and his five children.
Such schedules were certainly nothing new to late sergeant Nuhu Aliyu, from Katsina State, who had worked with the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Ikeja, Lagos State Command, for long. Mrs. Nuhu, a woman who had been married to him, close to three years, had gotten used to the unpredictability that comes with her husband’s job. When Nuhu got to office on May, 2, 2014, he had no idea he would be travelling to Kaduna State.
But when he was ordered to get ready, that he would be travelling with members of team nine, to arrest some suspects that same day, he had followed order. But friends and colleagues later confessed that Nuhu had been quite reluctant to embark on that fateful journey, which was very unusual and out of character with him.
“It was almost like he knew something terrible would happen,” said a colleague. According to his colleagues, he was always willing and ready for the most difficult task and journey. He however knew that as a policeman, ‘Obey the last order,’ was the mantra.
Believing that the journey would be quickly over, he had parked his car at the command, rather than take it home. He had also alerted his wife, imploring her to take care of their one-year-old daughter. The girl is their only child. He did not know that would be last time he would see or speak with his wife.
He died leaving behind his young wife and daughter. Nuhu and another colleague, Inspector Evbouan Aigbokhai from Edo State, died in a freaky automobile accident, after being unable to be vanquished by armed robbers.
The accident occurred while they were returning from Kaduna, after arresting some suspects, in an ongoing investigation, involving Dangote Company. The company was the complainant and had attempted to make the journey less stressful for the policemen by providing vehicle. The Lagos Police Command authority later announced: “
On May, 5, 2014, at about 2:30pm, officers and men from SARS team nine, while returning from an investigation to Kaduna State, had accident at Onigare Village, along Lagos- Ibadan Expressway. “The front tyre of the vehicle burst, causing the car to somersault. As a result, Inspector Evbouan Aigbokhai and Sergeant Nuhu Aliyu, eventually died at UCH Ibadan.
Their corpses were brought and kept at the Lagos State Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Mortuary.
Some of the suspects arrested and injured were also treatment.” The death of the men plunged the command into a mournful mood, even as they prayed for other members of the team, who were rushed to General hospital, Ibadan to survive.
Also severely injured in the accident was an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mr. Ugueze Cyprian. He was the officer who led the team to Kaduna. He is presently recuperating in the hospital. It was also gathered that some injured policemen had been discharged from the hospital.
The following day, Nuhu was buried at Agege Cemetery, according to Muslim rites. The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Prince Umar Manko and the Deputy Commissioner of Police, in charge of Operations, Mr. Tunde Sobulo, flanked by other senior officers, were at the cemetery to pay their last respects to the gallant officer. But Manko was noticeably grief-stricken.
A policeman said: “Yes, the commissioner of police was the worst hit by the death of the policemen, but especially by the death of Nuhu. Nuhu was like a son to him.” A few days after the accident and burial, Manko fell ill.
“He does not joke with his policemen,” revealed another policeman. Many of the SARS operatives described the death of Nuhu and Aigbokhai as a big loss to, not just the command, but also to the Police Force.
Both men worked under Superintendent of Police, (SP), Mr. Abba Kyarri, in charge of SARS. Kyarri, who was quite reluctant to speak about the deceased men, described the duo as “gallant officers and warriors.” The sad officer, choking on emotions, first described Nuhu as he knows him. “Ever since Nuhu came to SARS, we’ve been working together as a team.
He had been my orderly, working with me. He was a gallant officer. He had been involved in the arrest of several wanted criminals, especially armed robbers and kidnappers.” Nuhu was part of the warriors that embarked on trailing of a gang of robbers, who besieged Lagos State, September, 9, 2012. People in the state later described that day as ‘Bloody Sunday.’
The robbers on that day had gone through different areas of the metropolis, robbing, shooting, maiming and killing. Also arrested along with the gang of robbers, was another gang, which attacked First bank in Kwara State and burnt down a police station. The bank was said to have been attacked with dynamites and policemen killed and several people injured.
On the fateful day that the gang attacked the First Bank, they were about 17 robbers that stormed the bank. They allegedly made away with over N18million. They were finally arrested. Kyarri said: “Nuhu was also part of the team that recovered 12 AK47 rifles, and one GPMG. In fact, he was the one that arrested Arab, the leader of that gang.
The arrest of Arab, took us to Ogun State, where we recovered the 12 rifles. He was also part of the team that arrested godogodo.” The name godogodo, was the nickname given to Abiodun Ogunjobi, the South-West robbery czar. He was part of the Black Sunday Robbery of September, 9, 2012.
He later confessed that he had angrily killed a lot of policemen because of his members, slain by cops. For being part of the brave hearted police team that nailed the dreaded robbers, Nuhu smiled home with awards for gallantry.
Aigbokhai was fondly known among his colleagues as, ‘Man of God.’ It was pretty difficult to find him with a sad expression. No matter how bad the situation was, you would find, Aigbokhai, ‘blessing or praying’ for somebody.
He was always jovial. His character earned him ‘man of God.’ People, who met him for the very first time, always asked after minutes in his presence, if he was a true pastor.
When it was time to speak about Aigbokhai, Kyarri, weighed down with sadness, smoother laughter, as he recalled, Aigbokhai.
He said: “He was not a real man of God. It was just a nickname. He had not been with us for long, but he was quite popular. Their death was a shock to us.”
An Assistant Superintendent of Police, Mr. Philip, in charge of team nine, spoke glowing of Aigbokhai. He said: “Its clears that men who work here at SARS, work tirelessly and are gallant. We don’t accept lazy men in SARS. And these two men in particular were gallant officers.
Aigbokhai worked directly with me in my team. Before he left for this journey, he had always worked without supervision.
“He was an inspector that could work and you wouldn’t have any complaint. But nobody can question death. His nickname ‘man of God’, was because he loved people and liked playing with them.
Once he sees anyone, he would say, ‘you’re blessed.’ “Whether you’re a suspect or complainant, he didn’t mind. He would tell you, ‘you’re blessed.’ He disarmed people but he knew what he wanted and would play with you until he got it. He even used to pray with people, but his jocularity did not affect his work.
“As for Nuhu, he was not in my team, but anywhere you send him, he would go and always perfect his job, which was why when we had this job, we solicited for his assistance. His death was a blow to us.
The CP and DCP were at their burial; that shows the type of men they were. I know we would get over these blows, but it would take time.” Aigbokhai, 45, was survived by his wife, Mrs. Evbouan Victoria and his five children.
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